Chapter 5, Problem 29A

An airplane encounters a wind that blows in a perpendicular direction to the direction its nose is pointing. Does the effect of this wind increase or decrease speed across the ground below? Or does it have no effect on ground speed?

To determine

Whether the wind increases or decreases the speed across the ground below the airplane.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

When the wind blows parallel to the direction in which airplane moves, it increase or decreases the speed across the ground. The ground speed increases when the wind blows in the same direction as the motion of the plane where as it reduces when the wind blows in the reverse direction.

When the airplane moves and it encounters wind in a direction perpendicular to its direction of motion, then there will be no effect on the ground speed.